GUNS Magazine March 2013 Digital Edition - Page 38

OuT OF THe BOX™ JOHN TAFFIN ruger’s allWeatHer rimFire witH a twist I f you could have only one gun is a question I, and probably most other gun writers, hear very often. Skeeter Skelton, who not only wrote captivating articles on firearms, was also an exceptional writer of fiction, often fact-based fiction. One of his characters was Dobe Grant a former law officer and World War II vet who was a composite of several friends of Skeeter’s most notably Bill Jordan and Evan Quiros. Skeeter wrote several articles detailing his visits to the fictional Turkey Track Ranch of Dobe Grant. Thirty years ago he answered the one gun query by asking Dobe the same thing. After going through a long list of guns and what they were good for Dobe finally answered if he could have only one gun “it would be a .22… rifle.” If all of us really think about it, no matter how many exquisite handguns, long-range rifles, and superb shotguns we may have, when it comes right down to it, the most useful firearm possible is a .22 rifle. My first firearm was a .22 rifle and today I just wrote a check to Ruger for my latest firearm, which also happens to be a .22 rifle. There have been a great number of firearms of every type, sixguns, semi-automatics, leverguns, singleshots, and several hundred others in between, however right now my Alpha and Omega is the basic .22 rifle. Ruger has been making what is definitely America’s favorite .22 rifle for right at 50 years now. When you produce and sell somewhere between 6 and 7 million .22 rifles you must be doing something right. And that “right” is the Ruger 10/22. The first 10-shot, semi-automatic Ruger 10/22 arrived in 1964. Unlike other .22 rifles on the scene at the time this one used a rotary magazine proven to be totally reliable over the last halfcentury. That first rifle retailed for less than $55 and over the years was often used as a the low-cost leader in many department stores. Yes, there was a time when just about every department store had a gun department. I don’t have the slightest idea how many different versions of Ruger 10/22s have been offered over the past 50 years, however they have been many and varied. The 10/22 is also the most customized .22 rifle out there and is only behind the AR-15 and 1911 Government Model in the number of aftermarket items offered for making it our own personalized firearm. In recent years Ruger has offered John found the Ruger 10/22 Takedown an accurate, pleasant and extremely portable rimfire rifle. The Ruger 10/22 Takedown is basically a version of the AllWeather 10/22. the 10/22 in a Compact Version, Target Model, Tactical Model, and an All-Weather Model with stainless steel barrel, satin-finished alloy receiver, and black synthetic stock. The latest Ruger 10/22 is the AllWeather with a twist—a twist that allows it to be taken apart easily. That is, it is a Takedown Model that comes with a Ruger high-quality zippered storage/carrying bag. Pressing a locking lever under the forearm allows the barrel to be twisted and then removed from the receiver/butt stock. It comes standard with the 10-round rotary magazine as well as a scope mount base, which attaches with four screws to the already drilled and tapped receiver. If you choose not to go the scope route, the 10/22 Takedown has excellent iron sights consisting of a gold bead front matched up with a folding rear sight, which is adjustable for elevation by loosening two screws and can be tapped in the dovetail for windage. This Ruger 10/22 comes in Takedown form in the zippered Ruger black bag and thus must be put together before it can be fired. To accomplish this, the bolt must be locked open, the adjustment knob at the front of the receiver loosened by turning it clockwise, then the barrel is inserted into the receiver and rotated clockwise until it is locked into place. The adjustment knob is then turned counterclockwise as far as possible with finger pressure. However, we are not finished at least with this beginning adjustment. The barrel assembly is then removed first making sure the bolt is locked back and by pushing the locking lever towards the muzzle. The barrel assembly is rotated counterclockwise and MakER: STuRM, RugER & CO. 200 RugER Rd. PRESCOTT, aZ 86301 (928) 778-6555 www.guNSMagaZiNE.COM/RugER Action Type: blowback, semi-auto, Caliber: .22 lr, Capacity: 10, Barrel Length: 18-1/2", Overall Length: 37", Weight: 4.67 pounds, Finish: stainless steel, Sights: gold bead front, adjustable rear, Stock: black synthetic, Price: $389 10/22 takedown 38 W W W. G U N S M AG A Z I N E . C O M • M A R C H 2 0 1 3